New Mexico sues Epstein’s lawyer and accountant over alleged role in abuse

New Mexico’s attorney general sued Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime lawyer and accountant on Wednesday, accusing them of helping conceal his sexual abuse and seeking to block them from receiving payments as executors of his estate while the case proceeds.

The civil lawsuit alleges that lawyer Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn “facilitated and concealed” sex trafficking at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch outside Santa Fe. Filed in federal court in New Mexico, it names both men individually and as co-executors, along with Epstein’s estate and the 1953 Trust, which holds its assets.

“Jeffrey Epstein did not operate alone, and his death does not end the pursuit of accountability for the people who helped make his crimes possible,” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said. He said the lawsuit describes financial arrangements that allegedly helped sustain and hide abuse of vulnerable girls and young women. “Those who allegedly enabled this exploitation should not be allowed to profit from it while survivors continue to live with its consequences,” he said.

Lawyers for Indyke and Kahn said the men “emphatically reject” allegations that they were complicit in or knowingly facilitated Epstein’s abuse or trafficking. They said the conduct occurred behind closed doors and at times when neither man was present. Their statement also said no woman had accused either man of committing or witnessing sexual abuse, and criticized the attorney general’s office for filing suit without first seeking to interview them.

Indyke worked with Epstein for decades, and Kahn for more than 10 years. In testimony to Congress in March, they said they were unaware of Epstein’s crimes beyond his 2008 guilty plea on prostitution charges.

The complaint describes the two men as central to a network that allegedly protected Epstein’s wealth and influence. According to The Guardian, it alleges Indyke received more than $16 million from Epstein and related entities from 2011 to 2019, while Kahn received more than $10 million. Torrez said the state also seeks to ensure Epstein’s assets go to survivors.

Six survivors, including Anouska De Georgiou, Courtney Wild and Chauntae Davies, welcomed the lawsuit. “His operation depended on the appearance of legitimacy and access to money carefully structured to avoid exposing his crimes,” they said in a joint statement. At a news conference, De Georgiou thanked Torrez for “standing with survivors,” adding: “It is time for those responsible to answer for their part in it.”

Epstein bought Zorro Ranch in 1993 and built a mansion, airstrip and helipad there. New Mexico had been investigating him before his death in a federal jail in 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges. The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. Torrez reopened the state investigation this year.

The Guardian reported that Torrez is also pursuing a separate lawsuit seeking unredacted Epstein-related files from the U.S. Justice Department for the state investigation. The department has asked a court to dismiss that case, arguing that releasing the files would violate victims’ privacy and that decisions about sharing law-enforcement information are within its discretion.